All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (Aptma), fertiliser industry and Independent Power Producers (IPPs) have joined hands to form Pakistan Industrial Forum in an effort to save the industry from total disaster in the wake of energy crisis.
Gohar Ejaz, the Aptma representative to the Forum, told Business Recorder that the Forum would work in the larger interest of the industry in Pakistan by pursuing the government as well as general public on efficient use of energy.
He said textile industry has faced gas shortage for 190 days during last one year, followed by fertiliser industry for 180 days and the IPPs for 176 days. This has curtailed the GDP growth by about 3 percent. Gohar said Pakistan Industrial Forum is all set to initiate a public awareness campaign on efficient use of gas, a precious source of energy to the industrial growth of Pakistan. He said the fertiliser industry is being represented by Fawad Mukhtar and the IPPs sector by Shahid Abdullah.
All the three sectors were at loggerheads last year, busy in cat fighting in getting the available gas for their respective units. However, the CNG pumps stood out to be the winners, as the government kept on shying of suspending gas supply to CNG pumps under the fear of public reaction. However, Pakistan Industrial Forum is determined to catching a missed flight of growth by agreeing upon launch a joint effort to change the mindset of general public as well as the policymakers.
Gohar said the PIF was hopeful of changing the mindset of general public and the policymakers regarding judicious and efficient use of gas. Federal Minister for Petroleum, Dr Asim Hussain has been all supportive to the industrial growth through ensuring gas availability to leading industrial sectors including textile, fertiliser and IPPs. However, all his efforts have been failing time and again due to the manoeuvring of vested interests present within and outside the government.
Gohar expressed the hope that sanity would prevail and the domestic consumers as well as 'political class' of the country would evolve a consensus on supplying available gas to industrial sectors enabling them to meet GDP target and create job opportunities for the labour class in the country.
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